Paving the way for the Farm Progress Show in Boone, IA.

(AMES, Iowa – August 2022) Invigorate Plus Easy Pave was placed on the grounds of the Farm Progress Show that takes place in Boone, Iowa at the end of August.

Colorbiotics teamed up with Gee Asphalt Systems, Inc. to pave the way for the Farm Progress Show exhibitors that will be displaying their booths at the end of August of 2022. Colorbiotics used one of its newest products, Invigorate Plus Easy Pave, to cover a large slab of ground with asphalt so exhibitors can place their booths underneath the large tent. Most of the traffic in the area will be foot-traffic.

This technology was invented over a decade ago. After the conception of this product, it took Colorbiotics a few years of research and funding to get the product from lab scale to commercial scale. Now, Colorbiotics has been offering this product and other soy-based products at a commercial scale since 2020.

As easy as one, two, three.

The life of asphalt is about 20 years. A good way to extend that life and preserve asphalt is by using Invigorate Plus Easy Pave. “Micro-cracks start to form between 5-10 years,” said Austin Hohmann, product manager at Colorbiotics. “It’s due to aging and oxidation that happens inside the asphalt.” Hohmann suggests spraying a product to help seal the surface, which in turn, eliminates water and discourages the elements from impacting the asphalt.

The Invigorate Plus Easy Pave application process includes three important steps.

Applicators will lay down the asphalt millings to kick off the process. The millings that Colorbiotics and Gee Asphalt Systems, Inc. used for the Farm Progress Show are a mixture of excess Recycled Asphalt Pavement (RAP) from old, low-volume roads. Typically, asphalt will have polymer to help with heavy loading or the force that is applied to them, making the RAP higher valued. Hohmann says there is no need for RAP with polymer for this specific project because most of the traffic will be on foot.

Gee Asphalt Systems, Inc. was instructed to put down between three to six inches of millings. Anything more or less than that will not work well with the topical binder. “The topical agent that we are applying uses water as a transport agent to get the material down,” Hohmann said. “It’s almost like a tack weld or like binding the points at which the millings connect.”

Then the team spray-applies the topical solution followed by compacting the millings. These next two steps happen one after the other in quick succession. Colorbiotics and Gee Asphalt Systems, Inc. worked in tandem to repeat this process two days in a row to achieve six inches of topically applied and compacted asphalt millings.

Science built from soybeans.

This product benefits more than just one industry. Invigorate Plus Easy Pave rewards the agriculture and construction industries, too. Finding innovative ways to use crops supports the agriculture industry. For the construction industry, a product like Invigorate Plus Easy Pave is a cheaper alternative to concrete and is closer to carbon neutral. “Comparatively, hot mix is about $4 a square foot, whereas this product paired with using old asphalt millings will run you about $0.50 a square foot.” Hohmann said.

Invigorate Plus Easy Pave is good for the environment, too. Soy-based products are an ideal alternative to petroleum or formaldehyde-based products for many reasons. They are safe for the environment. This is important when applying to roads that can have run-off, and soybeans are a renewable resource. Additionally, soy-based products, like Invigorate Plus Easy Pave, do not create corrosive environments from bridge railings and expansion joints.

Making its way to the shelves.

Gee Asphalt Systems, Inc. expressed their excitement to continue to try out Invigorate Plus Easy Pave by Colorbiotics. “Sometimes, the biggest struggle in the asphalt industry is getting people to see the value in newer technology,” Hohmann said. “And so, these guys right here on the skid steer and the bulldozer can assess the benefits of our product. Throughout the day, they have said things like ‘wow, this is amazing’ and ‘this looks like hot mix.’” Hohmann gestured to the Gee Asphalt Systems, Inc. professionals as they work their way through the three-step process.